# Big News out of Cuba !



## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

Originally Posted by ********* (Owner and person from another forum )

So what is new from Cuba...a hell of a lot. Let me address some of the issues in point form:

1. All cigars out of Habanos s.a are now frozen in a new state of the art freezing facility at the Habanos s.a warehouse. This has been going on for the best part of 18 months. The Cubatobacco Tobacco institute has had a great deal of input into the process to ensure that there are no molecular changes. The process was introduced to eliminate any issues of tobacco beetle. 

2. Hand rolled Partagas Culebra's will be out in 2007. Machine rolled Partagas Culebra will not be seen again. 

3. A Short R&J Cazadores will be released in 2007. Same punch in a smaller format. 

4. ALL cigars being rolled today are using three year old Ligero, two year old Seco and one year old Volado in their fillers. This is why cigars are smoking better earlier than previously. I personally inspected the markings of bales being used in the factories to verify this. 

5. New mechanical wrapper moisturising machines are being used in all factories to ensure correct moisture component. The machines are state of the art (Italian made). 

6. All cigars are now being draw tested. Quality proceedures have been honed even since my last visit in February. 

7. Habanos s.a has been setting aside and aging tobacco since 2002. Look forward to better cigars utilising more aged tobacco. 

8. New Cohiba Maduro cigars will be released in 2007. Wrapper 5 years, filler 3 years. Natural Maduro process. 

9. 80% of all tobacco grown is Habanos 2000 (has been since 2002 and will continue to be until 2009). Small amount of Corojo is still being grown and is used as wrapper for the LE series. They are forwarding me a timeline showing what is and has been grown since 1998. This has been promised before but should come to fruition this time. 

10. They refute cooking tobacco. Fermentation process is not a one process suits all. Each crop, each bale is assessed subject to leaf quality (oil content/thickness etc) and then fermentation is adjusted proportionately. This has always been so.

11. Tasted the new Montecristo Petite Robusto. While fresh....it showed promise as the quality of the tobacco used was high.

12. New cigars to be released will continue to be in the larger formats for the forseeable future. The reason is simply sales. The two topselling premium cigars are the Cohiba Siglo VI....and the Montecristo Edmundo (surprised me but wildly popular in Europe). I proposed the release or re-release of some thinner gauge classics. I have to submit a proposal for consideration. They are not convinced it will be a winner based on current experience and sales. 



Some of you have probably seen this before. But for those who have not, I thought it is great info on whats going on and what is up and coming.


----------



## ToddziLLa (Oct 17, 2005)

Thanks as always for the news Rich.


----------



## Jason Love III (Apr 30, 2005)

Interesting read. Thanks Richard.


----------



## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Nothing really new here for me except for Siglo VI and Edmundo being that popular. I am not a fan of either- too thick... Call me old school I guess.


----------



## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

Good stuff, Richard! Thanks!

#1 is a bombshell for me.

#10 is especially interesting given what I've been reading elsewhere.


----------



## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

Corona Gigante said:


> Good stuff, Richard! Thanks!
> 
> #1 is a bombshell for me.
> 
> #10 is especially interesting given what I've been reading elsewhere.


:tpd: on #1 ! Wow !


----------



## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

A very interesting read!

Thanks, JohnnyFlake


----------



## BP22 (Apr 13, 2006)

Thanks Richard!

I like this one.


> 2. Hand rolled Partagas Culebra's will be out in 2007. Machine rolled Partagas Culebra will not be seen again.


----------



## Charles (Sep 28, 2005)

Thanks Richard.


----------



## NCRadioMan (Feb 28, 2005)

Very interesting(#1). Thanks Rich!


:ms NCRM


----------



## raisin (Dec 3, 2005)

mosesbotbol said:


> Nothing really new here for me except for Siglo VI and Edmundo being that popular. I am not a fan of either- too thick... Call me old school I guess.


 Moses- you've seen #1 & 4's content before?


----------



## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

Thanks for the info Richard.

Not surprised to see the Siglo VI being so popular.
I guess there are a lot more Siglo VI fans out there than me.:r 
My favorite stick out of that forbidden land.
I respect all opinions, specially when it comes to taste as we all have different preferences, but boy is it hard not to like a "real" Siglo VI.

I am surprised at the Edmundo. I didn't imagine it being so popular but I guess it makes sense if you look at it from the vitola perspective as the Edmundo and the Siglo VI are cousins/sisters, whatever (although actually different). Although not that popular with some CS BOTLs, I happen to love the cigar. I am on my last five out of my box and seem to go to it more than the others I have for immediate enjoyment.


----------



## ToddziLLa (Oct 17, 2005)

Blueface said:


> Not surprised to see the Siglo VI being so popular.
> I guess there are a lot more Siglo VI fans out there than me.:r
> My favorite stick out of that forbidden land.
> I respect all opinions, specially when it comes to taste as we all have different preferences, but boy is it hard not to like a "real" Siglo VI.


Right with ya brother.


----------



## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

Awesome-habanos being frozen, habanos being aged. talk about a dynamic company listening to its consumers- Habanos SA is no longer the antique company of yore it seems. great info-thanks for the post and i can see im going to be smoking a lot more habanos soon!


----------



## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

raisin said:


> Moses- you've seen #1 & 4's content before?


#1 is new, yet not suprising, almost expected as Habanos are modernizing on all fronts, and #4 I thought someone talked about on CS about 4-5 months ago.

So, I guess you are right, it is news to me as well, but not like red flag banner on CNN kind of news...


----------



## stig (Mar 9, 2006)

Now if we could just get them to lift that damned imbargo.


----------



## Puffy69 (Sep 8, 2005)

stig said:


> Now if we could just get them to lift that damned imbargo.


Nooooooo....

Thanks Richard for the info..


----------



## olotti (Jan 20, 2006)

This is very interesting info especially about the somewhat "aged" tobacco and the feezing process. I think the short RyJ Cazadores is very tantalizing and I'm also surprised to see that the Edmundo is one of the best sellers, the SigloVI doesn't surprise me but the Edmundo has really rebounded since it's dissapointing introduction. Thanks for the post.


----------



## stogie_kanobie_one (Feb 9, 2006)

Blueface said:


> Thanks for the info Richard.
> 
> Not surprised to see the Siglo VI being so popular.
> I guess there are a lot more Siglo VI fans out there than me.:r
> ...


The CA review on the Edmundo done some time ago probably bolstered it's appeal. It got high marks. I'm surprised by that as well. Talk about a tight draw.....

This was all very usefull information to me though. Thanks for the post.


----------



## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

I am surprised about Siglo VI being so popular. They are significantly more expensive than Edmundo, Monte 2, Serie D, etc... and in some markets, that makes for a quite expensive cigar.


----------



## ATLHARP (May 3, 2005)

RPB67 said:


> Originally Posted by ********* (Owner and person from another forum )
> 
> So what is new from Cuba...a hell of a lot. Let me address some of the issues in point form:
> 
> ...


Monte Petite Robustos? OMG I am gonna wet myself!!!

ATL (Monte whore)


----------



## wij (May 25, 2006)

Good stuff. Thanks for posting it here.


----------



## VinnDog (Feb 26, 2006)

Damn! You guys NEVER cease to amaze me!! This is very cool stuff. I’m still learning to cut and light a cigar properly… Also, something tells me this new information will not be enough to ‘convince’ my wife I NEED to increase my ISOM budget. I’ll still try. We’ll see.

Peace,
VinnDog
:tpd:


----------



## Cigar Jockey (Feb 12, 2006)

:dr Culebra's:dr Is it 2007 yet?


----------



## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Rich,

Thank you very much for the post and information. It is much appreciated.


----------



## partagaspete (Apr 27, 2004)

Thank you very much for the interesting information

T


----------



## M1903A1 (Jun 7, 2006)

There's only one bit of "big news" that I want to hear out of Cuba. And it ends with "...is dead".

Hopefully followed by some even bigger news out of Washington: "The Cuban embargo is lifted effective immediately."


----------



## raisin (Dec 3, 2005)

Be careful what you wish for! :2


----------

